In Things Fall Apart the Igbo society is dominated by gender roles. Husbands beat their wives just for bringing food a few minutes late. Women are completely discriminated against. In fact, it is an insult to call a man an agbala (a woman). To men, women exist in a world in which they are "to be seen not heard, coming and going, with mounds of foofoo, pots of water, market baskets, fetching kola, being scolded and beaten before they disappear behind the huts of their compound" (Mezu 2). However, the role of women is far more essential than the male villagers believe. Achebe repeatedly refers to the masculinity or femininity of a person. Though Achebe seems to believe that men seem to dominate relationships, in fact, there are many ways in which Achebe "emphasizes female characteristics and critiques [the] inflated sense of masculinity" (Bennett 2). The main character in Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo, has trouble balancing the femininity and masculinity in his life (Appiah 2). He believes that only masculinity can hold society together. Okonkwo rejects everything that reminds him of being coward-like or feminine. According to Robert Bennett, a doctoral candidate at the University of California, Okonkwo "is a man out of balance who has only developed one half of his full self because he only accepts the masculine side of his culture" (2). Because of Okonkwo's objection to everything feminine, he has a rocky relationship with his father. Throughout the novel, Okonkwo refers to his father, Unoka, as an "agbala." Unoka, was extremely artistic musically gifted, coward-like, and in great debt. These are all the things Okonkwo related to being feminine. All of the hate for his father's weaknesses led him to be cruel to the true feminine species. Okonkwo is known for beating his wives harshly. During the Week of Peace, a week in which the beating of wives is prohibited, Okonkwo's youngest wife goes to have her hair braided and forgets to cook dinner. Okonkwo breaks the...

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...﻿David Martinez
Ms. Humphry
English 2
March 24, 14
LiteraryAnalysis Essay
“Tradition becomes our security, and when the mind is secure it is in decay” – Jiddu Krishnamurti. ThingsFallApart is an English-language novel written by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe that was published in 1958 by William Heinemann Ltd. In ThingsFallApart the Umuofia tribesmen refuse to change and...

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Civilized or Not?
In Chinua Achebe’s ThingsFallApart, the Ibo culture is depicted as a civilized society
although it is quite the contrary. The Ibo tribe is first portrayed as a civilized society to those who live
amongst it with good morals, a safe environment along with its leaders, and a stable religion.
Throughout the novel,it is clear that the Ibo people are not a civilized society.
...

...Vianne Vitug
5° Honors English 09
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A Theme and Okonkwo
ThingsFallApart, a novel written by Chenua Achebe takes place in eastern Nigeria around the late 1800s. Achebe introduces Okonkwo, the protagonist of the novel and his ways of life. Okonkwo’s experiences in the novel are illustrated by his role, motivations, conflicts, and their resolutions. Providing readers with the theme of “The fear of emotion can ruin the quality of...

...The novel “ThingsFallApart” written by Chinua Achebe, is a tale based on the traditional beliefs and customs of an Ibo village during late 1800’s Africa. Through the telling of this story, we witness the remarkable depth of Igbo culture through its functions of religion, politics, judiciary and entertainment.
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